---
title: Database Adapters Overview
description: c15t Backend supports multiple database adapters, each offering different features and trade-offs. This guide helps you choose the right adapter for your needs.
lastModified: 2025-04-15
deprecated: true
deprecatedReason: "@c15t/backend v1 did not deliver the flexibility we wanted and fell short of our standards. It is now deprecated as we work on a full rewrite, with v2 entering canary soon. This does not affect consent.io deployments, which remain stable."
---

## Comparison Table

| Feature | Memory | Kysely | Prisma | Drizzle |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|---------|
| **Best for** | Development | Production SQL | Full ORM | Lightweight ORM |
| **Type safety** | Basic | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| **Schema management** | None | Manual | Automatic | Manual + Tools |
| **Migrations** | None | Manual | Automatic | CLI tools |
| **Query complexity** | Basic | Advanced | Advanced | Advanced |
| **Transaction support** | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| **Performance** | Fast (in-memory) | Fast | Moderate | Fast |
| **Bundle size** | Minimal | Moderate | Large | Small |
| **Database support** | N/A | PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite | Many | PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite |

## Choosing the Right Adapter

- **Memory Adapter**: Perfect for development, testing, and demos. Not suitable for production.
- **Kysely Adapter**: Great for applications that need direct SQL access with type safety and performance.
- **Prisma Adapter**: Ideal for applications that benefit from a full-featured ORM with schema management.
- **Drizzle Adapter**: Good balance between performance and features with a lightweight footprint.

## Migration Path

You can switch between adapters as your application needs evolve:

1. **Development → Production**: Start with Memory adapter, then migrate to Kysely, Prisma, or Drizzle
2. **Changing Adapters**: The common adapter interface makes it relatively easy to switch between implementations

## Next Steps

- [Memory Adapter Documentation](./memory)
- [Kysely Adapter Documentation](./kysely)
- [Prisma Adapter Documentation](./prisma)
- [Drizzle Adapter Documentation](./drizzle)
